Tag Archives: business strategy

Some time ago we ran a mini survey asking clients the thought provoking question ‘If Bussroot was a box of chocolates, what flavour would they be?’ A feature on local radio the other morning discussing the potential of bottling Kent air and what fragrance that would have, triggered a thought. If you had to describe the essence of your company what would be the resulting blend?

The professionals tell me that perfumes are usually a combination of top notes, heart notes and base notes. So where does the business connection figure here? If we take the top note as the brand image, the heart note as the empathy and customer service at the core of the company and the base notes as the foundation and business strategy, does this start to make sense? Hopefully that’s a ‘Yes’.

Over time we become immune to a fragrance and similarly we may no longer see our brand as others see it. The essence of the business can become stale and unappealing. If one area of the business is stagnant the overall perception of the company will be contaminated. In the same way in which we fail to notice that others may find a perfume unpleasant, we close our eyes to the negative effect poor business practices may have on our clients. We choose perfumes for a reason, and our unique ‘smell’ creates a lasting impression on the people we come into contact with.

I’ve always felt there’s something dependable and trustworthy about a man who wears ‘Old Spice’, probably by association and down to the fact that it was my father’s favorite. So if we bottle our business essence, containing all of our company values founded on a bedrock of sound decision making, blended with a warm, welcoming customer service, crowned with a seductive and memorable brand image, I reckon we’ll have the aroma of a sweet smell of success.

So take the top off your bottle and tell me, is your business on the right scent?